Manway system for multiple-plate columns



Oct. 19, 1943. E. 1.. McCARTHY 2,332,243

MANWAY SYSTEM FOR MULTIPLE PLATE COLUMNS Filed April 27, 1942 wh /afar EMAIL. No 6419711 I theman-waya- Patented Oct. 19, 1943 1,332,243 g may srs'rau ron Murmur-mare corms .amnnecmhy,mmom.xens;.esd er v to The Floor Corporation. Ltd" Los Angeles. Calll., aeorporation of California. J

Application April, 1942. Serial No. 440,602

4 Claims. (01. zen-114) This invention has to do generally with multiple tray columns of the type used for liquidvapor fractionation, distillation, absorption, and

like purposes, and relates particularly to improvements in cover mountings fortray-contained man-ways whereby the interior of the column may be made more conveniently accessible for cleaning or inspection of any or all of the individual trays.

Columns ofthe type to which the invention is Provision for man-ways through the trays is necessitated by the accumulation on the trays of dirt or sediment requiringremoval from time to time, or by the desirability for having the trays accessible, without removing them from the column; for inspection and repair or replacement of parts. It is desirable and time-saving for workmen cleaning or inspecting the trays, to be able to reach them'by working upwardly, or both upwardly and downwardly, through the man-ways. For example, where it is necessary to inspect only one or more of the lower trays, time and labor required to remove all the trays above;- might be obviated were it possible to pass upwardly through the man-ways starting at the bottom of the column. Again; cleaning of all the trays might greatly be expedited were diilerent workmen able to. pass both downwardly and upwardly through .In accordancetwith'the lIlVeIltlOl'h-"th'e manway closures are attachedto the trays by'connections that may be. released topermit removal cf the closures, by manipulation at either the upper orundersides of the trays. Similarly, the

connections may bemade up'or engaged-at'either side of the trays to secure the closures about the tray openings. in the form of covers overlying the openings so as to be removable 'at the top surfaces of the trays, and attachedto the trays by threaded bolt r-onnections releasable or engageable at either of the tray sides, as described inv the foregoing.

For a more complete understanding of all the 65 Preferably, the closures are made.

various features and-objects of the invention,

reference may be had to the accompanying drawing illustrative of the-invention in one of its typical and preferred forms. In-the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view showing a'section of the column containing a pair of trays, a portion of the shell being broken away to expose the trays and certain of the parts, including vapor risers,- bubble caps, -and-'one of the man-way covers, being removed to show more clearly the construction: g g I Fig. 21s a compositeview showing parts of the cover attachment when the cover is removed from below the column tray;

Fig. 3 15.8; similar view showing the condition of the parts when the cover removed from 'abovethetray; I

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan as viewed from lineHzofFigJrand I Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the completely made-up attachment."

-' Reference first may be had to Fig.1"as-showing a typical bubble'traycolumn' embodying the invention, it being-understood of course that the specific formand" details of' the column proper are illustrative only and that the invention is equally applicable toother column and tray designs. The column'comprises the usualshell' i0 containing a vertical -Series of trays, generally indicated at l l it being understood that the column may be of extended height and contain a considerable number of trays. -Als o i t may be explained, without necessity for specific; illustration, that man-ways maybe 'providedat the top and bottom of the shell ill to permit access into the shell above its uppermost tray and below its lowermost tray. v z I v Each of the trays comprises a horizontal plate 12, the rim I3 of which is applied "to the shell I! except atone side of the column'where {the Plate e e er na es aloha 'a.,- r e1 i -low. Suchoverfio'w occursthroug'h a downs-pout,

. a vertical plate It attached to the, tray plate 1 i2 and extending transversely toithe' wall oi the generally indicated at II, formed by theshell and *shen. The bottom'mf plate liisf spaced above the surface r tn i late' lzq bel w. so "that. the ui lnsl h oush the down spout'is perinltted to now theplateonto which it is the riser. The cap and riser assemblies are retained in position by bolt connections I with the plates extending up through the risers andv the tops of the bubble caps. Each plate. contains a man-way opening normally closed'by a-cover a which may carry a bubble cap assembly, .as 1

illustrated by the elevated cover appearing in Fig.

1. As will be understood, by removal of the covers It, access may be had to'all locations within the column for cleaning or inspection of the trays.

The invention is more particularly concerned with the man-way cover mountings or attachments to the trays, as specifically shown in Figs. 2 to 5. Each of the covers fl is shown to be square or rectangular in shape and to be received I within a correspondingly shaped opening 28 in thetray. The plate is vertically supported on a frame a welded to the underside of the me.

as at II, with predetermined spacing therefrom as provided by a filler section 20. The threaded 1 connection between the, cover and the tray. comprises abolt ll having intermediate its ends asquareupset 3| adaptedto be received within notches 32 and a in the opposed edges of the tray and cover. respectively. When the connection is fully made up, as shown in Fig. 5, the

upper portion of the bolt it extends through a washer 34 welded at to the top surface of the cover about the notch 33. Nut 38 thus secures the cover to the tray from above, washer 34 being considered a portion of the cover. The lower portion of the bolt is dropped through an opening 31 in the frame 21 opposite notch 3!. Nut as on the lower end of the bolt secures the cover to the tray from below, the frame 21 being considered a part of the tray.

In the operation of assembling and securing the man-way connections from below the tray, see particularly Fig. 2, the bolt ill is inserted upwardly through the washer to with (the bolt turned to a position such that the square upset if fits into .the notch 33 in the man-way cover. Nut ii is then turned on the bolt to a position of tight engagement against washer 34, causing the upset II to be brought tightly up against the bottom surface of the washer. After all the bolts are similarly applied to the cover, the latter may be lowered from below the tray into seating position on the frame 21. The bottom nut 3| then is applied to the bolt and tightened against the undersurface of the frame piece. As will be understood, the confinement of the upset Ii within notches 32 and It prevents rotation of the bolt.

plate, a rectangular man-way closure covering The connections may be assembled and the cover applied from above, by first inserting the bolt down through the hole in the frame 21, with the upset 3i received within the plate recess, and threading the nut 38 upwardly against the bottom surface'of the frame, all as shown in Fig. 3. The cover then may be placed down about the upper end of the bolt and nut 38 finally applied to complete the joint." as shown in Fig. 5.

The man-way cover may be removed from below the tray by taking off nuts 38 and lifting justed to maintain the desired depth oi liquid out the studs with the cover, as illustrated by Fig. 2. In removing the cover from above, nuts It are taken 0!! the bolts and the cover raised to slide the washers I over the studs being left bolted to the frame 21. Placement of the upsets Ii within the cover and tray. recesses prevents rotation of the bolts whether the cover be removed from below or above the tray. 'In;.Flg. l'it will beobserved that the specific openings 2| and plates 20 shown, are rectangular, in shape, and that the width of each plate (across the bubble cap is substantially less thanitslength (longitudinally of the bubble caps) Consequently, it is apparent that the plate openings It can pass the removed covers and their attaehed'bubble caps and vapor necks, by up ending th plate assemblies and passing them through the openings with the short dimensions of the covers extending within the long dimensions of the plates. In this manner the cover assemblies may be removed from or put into the column without disturbing the plates.

I claim:

i. In a column of the character described, a vertical series of plates each having a man-way formed by an opening in the plate, covers placed over said openings. bubble caps and vapor necks carried by said plates and covers, and connections rigidly attaching said cover to the plates. said connections being releasable from either the top or bottom sides of the plates to permit removal of the covers from said openings.

2. In a column of the character described, a plate having a man-way formed by an opening in the plate, a closure for the opening and having its top surface disposed substantially in the plane of the top surface of the plate,- bubble caps and vapor necks carried .by said plate and closure, and connecting means rigidly attaching said closure to the plate, said connecting means being releasable from either the top or bottom sides of the plate to permit removal of the closure from said opening.

3. A column plate assembly of the character described, comprising a horizontally extending plate, a man-way closure covering a correspondingly shaped opening in the'plate and having its top surface in substantially the plane of the top surface of the plate, bubble caps and vapor necks carried by said plate and cover, and means accessible between said bubble caps connecting sald'closure to the plate, said connecting means being releasable from either the top or bottom sides of the plate to permit removal of the cover from said opening.

4. A column plate assembly of the character described, comprising a horizontally extending a correspondingly shaped opening in the plate and having its top surface in substantially the plane of the top surface of the plate, bubble caps and vapor necks carried by said plate and cover, and means accessible between said bubble caps connecting said closure to the plate, said connecting means being releasable from either'the top or bottom sides of the plate to permit removal of the cover from said opening. the plate opening being sufilciently large to pass the removed closure and thevapor, necks and bubble caps carried thereby.

. Enwm L. McCAR'I'HY. 

